Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman is putting family before football on the final day of the 2014 NFL Draft.
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Gettleman said he will run the third day of the draft remotely via Skype from Worchester, Mass., in order to attend the graduation ceremony for his son, Sam.
"It's important to be there for our children's life events," he said.
The ceremony will not conflict with the final four rounds of the draft. The Panthers have one pick remaining in each round.
"Through the process of technology, nothing will change," Gettleman said, per The Associated Press. "The process will be exactly the same."
Panthers fans have become frustrated with the general manager during the offseason, due to his staunch insistence on getting the team back on firm financial footing.
Consternation toward a general manager is a fan's prerogative. Some will undoubtedly argue that missing the final day of a draft is an indication that Gettleman's head isn't in the right place.
People constantly harp on the fact that there is more to life than football. Gettleman is living that belief out.
The concern was so minute that coach Ron Rivera was able to joke about the Panthers' final four picks.
"If all 4 picks are defense, you know what happened," he quipped.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" provides instant reaction to all the wild happenings in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.